Well happy Monday folks and where the heck did the hot sunshine go? I mean, I’m more pained about the weather than the fact it’s August tomorrow (it was February 5 months ago, and it’s 5 months until Christmas. Someone get me a time machine asap.)

It’s almost automatic now for us to gasp in disbelief at how fast time flies, maybe it’s living a social media life that causes us to live a fast-paced life and constantly be ahead of ourselves, not stopping to appreciate the now and take notice of what’s going on. Just a deep thought for a Monday to mull over before work.

I’ve spent the last weekend in a mix of reflection and planning ahead, but before we hop on into that, let’s discuss this double denim ensemble…

It’s nothing new or noteworthy, but I like that denim is now a bit more styled and rocking it double is a bit cooler than the days of Britney and Justin – still iconic though. The jacket has been in my wardrobe a long time, going back and forth between my Mum and I over the years with it currently living in my domain. It’s classic mid-denim, oversized but still flattering, and perfect for rolling the sleeves, what more do you need from a denim jacket?

Another classic of mine is mom jeans – I adore them, they are high waisted and hug my belly, are great for tucking in tees which is a signature look for me, and you can actually buy them short enough for my little legs! I will admit sometimes they make me look hippy, a bit bulgy belly, and my thighs bigger than usual, but they are bloody comfy and cool and that’s enough for me – plus a good ol’shrink in the wash fixes said problems, and I can be a happy Haim wannabe with disguised food baby.

Because opting for DD can be a bit of a statement, I like to keep the rest of the look quite chill – my top is a linen off-the-shoulder seen in this previous post, classic white Converse for hot-footing around London, and my Matt and Nat Hope bag which is a great little size for the essentials, a classic yet cool shape, and is conveniently one of my favourites this month…

The Matt and Nat bag is a bit different to their usual offerings, which I went into more detail about in this post, but the Hope bag donates all sale proceeds to a charity of your choice from 7 they work with, which is honestly amazing and commending. At £50, you’re really doing a good deed and getting something high-quality from it – the bag’s are made from vegan leather and are sustainably made, so you’re getting something that will lash a long time and have minimal impact on the environment too.

Another fave I’ve been converted to is the W3ll People Nudist Colourbalm in Cherry; I’d been looking for a stick version of the Tata Harper Lip and Cheek Tint for a while and since picking this up in a recent haul it’s the only thing I’m rocking on my lips. Despite being a balm, it has a semi-matte finish and great pigmentation, is easy to apply and looks what I can only describe as ‘poppin’ on the lips. Also, it’s cruelty-free and vegan which means no nasties, no testing, just pure love and lip smacking 😉

Another new thing I’ve picked up this month is my glasses, which I wrote about here and again, not a day goes by without these (because otherwise I can’t see) my eyesight isn’t awful, it just needs a bit of help after many hours on the computer, and it’s great to finally have a stylish pair to wear in and out the house. I like to use them as makeup almost, if I can’t be bothered to do much on my eyes, I just pop these on and the bold frame acts like liner almost, which is great for low-key days. I will say a few people have compared me to Harry Potter in these, but then again, wizards are cool.

Kinda a cheat fave, but this week I’m off to Ibiza with some lovely ladies, and for the past week I’ve been putting together a bangin’ road trip playlist; I’m talking Vengaboys, Hear’Say, Green Day, Kate Nash, Mariah Carey, Frank Ocean, Avril Lavigne, Beyonce, and of course some Haim because when am I not talking about Haim? I’m excited to have this blasting at a reasonable volume whilst driving around the unknown Ibiza roads, because this lady here is yet to drive on the opposite side soooo…wish me luck!

Finally this month, I’ve really got into my cruelty-free and vegan beauty and I’m enjoying the route it’s taking me content wise and also in my daily lifestyle. It’s made me think a lot more about consumerism, the beauty industry, what we put on our faces and in our skin, and ultimately it’s made me want to share and promote more brands that are doing more to be ethical and animal friendly. I’ve never been one to shove my veganism down anyone’s throat, to make people feel shouted at they they have to buy cruelty-free or eat dairy-free cakes, but there are some incredible options on the market (both accessible and a bit more niche) that are all aiming for an industry without animal testing and the unnecessary use of animal bi-products in makeup and skincare (not cool to have ground up beetles in your eyeshadow tbh) I’m hoping to do more focused reviews, both on here and my Instagram, and to show and work with the best beauty brands out there doing there bit for cruelty-free, so here’s to more ethical beauty!

Some products in this post may have been sent for review or gifted, and will be marked with a * or c/o. All opinions are mine are not influenced by brands or companies. Please see my full disclaimer for more.